Video Applications took a turn on a rather unconventional stage when it provided projection and video support for the premiere of The Trey McIntyre Project's "The More I See You" at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC) in Costa Mesa, California.
The young, innovative Trey McIntyre Project is an Idaho-based contemporary ballet troupe known for its respected repertory of ballets and its embrace of social networking and the latest technology. During the troupe's recent residency at OCPAC it staged two performances of "The More I See You" at Segerstrom Hall, held master classes for local students and danced several "spurbans" (spontaneous urban performances) in Orange County.
John Oliphant, technical director at Segerstrom Hall, brought Video Applications in on "The More I See You" to create a custom solution for the uniquely interactive ballet, which begins onstage in the Hall then invites the audience to join the dancers in the outdoor plaza which was encircled by video screens.
"It was critical for us to be involved early and to enjoy such a collaborative environment with OCPAC and Trey's team," notes Video Applications' vice president of sales, Shawn Oatey. "Trey had a vision of what he wanted to do, and OCPAC knew what could be physically done in the space. We were able to fit Trey's vision with OCPAC's budget and deliver a custom solution that worked really well."
"Since 'The More I See You' was a brand new work, we were looking for the best possible presentation, so we went to the best possible people for the job: Video Applications," says John Oliphant. "The key to the success of the project was Video Applications' willingness to communicate with the artist and give Trey the flexibility he needed. The digital video industry has become so high tech that it's difficult for a layman to figure it out. When Video Applications talked to Trey they devised a best-of-all-worlds approach within the given parameters."
Trey McIntyre recalls that the project "was so epic, with so many things going on at once that a lot had to be created during the period we were at OCPAC: video onstage, a live video transition to the plaza, massive structures offering different content outside. Working with people who could function at an incredibly high level was the only way it could happen. Video Applications grasped what I was looking for very quickly and executed my concepts in a very thoughtful way that far exceeded my expectations. It was a real joy!"
Inside Segerstrom Hall pre-recorded video footage shot by McIntyre was displayed during the onstage performance of "The More I See You." A live camera feed captured the dancers making their way offstage to the plaza as the last dancer invited the audience to join them outside for the continuation of the ballet. Video Applications provided a Video Director and two Hitachi Z4000 SD cameras for the transition, to follow the dancers as they left the stage, moved through the lobby and then entered the outside performance space.
Outside in the plaza Video Applications projected McIntyre's content 30' tall on the side of the building surface as well as onto 10 custom screens raised on truss and configured in a circle. After performing in the center of the plaza each dancer positioned himself or herself in the 'booth' formed by the truss under the screens where the performance continued as video played over their heads. The audience was invited to join the troupe in the middle of the plaza and to mingle as the dancers performed in the booths.
"The content was all designed by Trey and was synchronized to the dance," Oatey explains. "Shane Zinke was our Video Applications EIC for the project, and he designed an elegant but simple solution for controlling and routing signal to each display location."
Two Christie Roadster S+16 projectors displayed content on the side of the building and Panasonic 7700 projectors were rigged to a specially-designed truss to project on each of the booth screens.
A variety of options were explored for the booth screen surfaces before Video Applications determined that spandex would be the best medium for the screens which needed to remain outdoors between performances and be resistant to the plaza's wind corridor. The custom spandex screens were fabricated by OCPAC's wardrobe department to Video Applications' specifications. The booth structures were built by Accurate Staging and Brite Ideas provided lighting support on the plaza.
"It was a real collaborative effort all around, and everyone was very happy with the outcome," Oliphant declares. "Without Video Applications we felt it wouldn't have happened," adds McIntyre.
Oatey points out that "The More I See You" was "different from the typical event we do. It was an exciting piece of performance art, and it was a thrill to be able to contribute to the realization of Trey's vision."
Video Applications and Scharff Weisberg are collaborating partners to clients requiring unique and imaginative solutions for their event, spectacle and large-meeting lighting, sound and video needs whether local, national or worldwide. For more information visit www.scharffweisberg.com or www.videoapps.com.